Certified vs Informational Death Certificate: Which to Order

A certified death certificate is the official copy issued by a state or county vital records office, and it is the version that banks, insurers and government agencies accept. In some states, an informational copy is a version issued to people who aren't entitled to the legal one. In California, for example, it carries the legend "Informational, Not a Valid Document to Establish Identity". If you are settling an estate, order the certified copy.

What is a certified death certificate?

A certified copy is an official copy of the death record, issued by the vital records office that holds it. USAGov says you will need one for tasks such as notifying the Social Security Administration and other government agencies, closing or transferring credit cards and bank accounts, and claiming life insurance or a pension.

You may only need a photocopy for other tasks, such as canceling a subscription. USAGov advises checking with each agency or organization about what it accepts. Our guide on how many death certificates you need helps you plan the count.

What is an informational death certificate?

"Informational copy" is a term used in some states, and the details differ from state to state. California's health department explains it clearly. If you cannot obtain an authorized copy under California law, you can obtain an informational copy. It contains the same information as an authorized copy but carries the legend "Informational, Not a Valid Document to Establish Identity". Certain items may be redacted, and it may not be used to obtain identification. California also says that authorized and informational copies are both considered certified copies.

So, in California, the difference is not that one is "certified" and the other isn't. It is what each can be used for and who may have it. Other states use different words. Texas issues certified copies and a separate death verification letter, and Florida offers certified copies with or without the cause of death.

How do they compare?

The Texas Department of State Health Services says a death certificate is the most comprehensive death record, a certified copy of the original, and that it also shows a history of corrections made to the record. Its verification letter includes the person's name, date of death and place of death, and is available for deaths since 1903.

Who can order a certified copy?

Eligibility is set by each state, so the rules below are examples.

• California. An authorized copy can go to the person named on the record, or a parent, legal guardian, child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse or domestic partner. It can also go to an executor or other person appointed by statute or a court to act for the registrant or the estate, and a funeral home acting for the family. A notarized sworn statement is required, and requests without it are rejected.
• Texas. For deaths in the past 25 years, only immediate family members of the person named on the certificate can order a certified copy. Others need legal documentation of a direct, tangible interest, such as an insurance policy naming them as beneficiary.
• Florida. Anyone aged 18 or over can request a copy without the cause of death, with the first five digits of the Social Security number redacted. Copies showing the cause of death and full SSN are confidential for 50 years and go only to specified people, such as a spouse, parent or adult child, or someone who shows a will, insurance policy or other document showing an interest in the estate.

USAGov says some states release death certificates to the public after 25 or more years. Our guide to getting a death certificate walks through the ordering steps, and our state-by-state guide points you to the right office.

What do copies cost?

Fees are set by the state or county, and they change. These examples were checked in October 2026.

Because extra copies are often cheaper when ordered together, count how many you need before you order. Going back later can mean paying the first-copy fee again. In Texas, for example, a later order costs the $20 first-copy fee, not the $3 extra-copy fee.

Which one should you order?

Think about what you will use it for.

1. Settling the estate. Order certified copies. These are what you present for Social Security, banks, insurers, retirement accounts and vehicle transfers. If the state offers a choice between copies with and without the cause of death, ask the organization which it needs.
2. Proving you have an interest in the estate. Order the version your state gives to people with that interest, and bring proof such as court letters.
3. Checking that a record exists, or family history. An informational copy or a verification letter, where offered, may be enough. These are not valid for legal or financial use.
4. Not eligible for a certified copy yet. Ask the vital records office how you can show a direct interest, or ask the executor or a close relative to order.

What mistakes should you avoid?

• Ordering an informational copy by mistake. It may be the version offered to people who are not eligible, and it cannot be used to prove identity.
• Leaving out the sworn statement. In California, an authorized copy request without a notarized sworn statement is rejected and returned.
• Making photocopies of a certified copy for banks. Some organizations take a photocopy and many do not. Ask first.
• Ordering too few. Count the organizations that need an original, and order together.
• Not checking the details. Mistakes on the record cause delays. Our guide on death certificate corrections explains how to fix them.

If the cause of death is still pending, our guide to interim and full death certificates explains the options.

What to do next

1. Find out which state the death occurred in, because that state's vital records office issues the record.
2. List the organizations that need an original, then ask each what it accepts.
3. Order certified copies in one request, with the notarized statement or proof of relationship your state requires.
4. Keep a log of where each copy went.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change, so check the vital records office for the state where the death occurred.